Cutting and creasing press



Aug. 13, 1946.

L. A. WHITTAKER :arr/lu.

CUTTING AND CREASING PRESS 6 Shee't-s-Sheet 1 Aer/d' nv Filedv March 8, 1944 Aug, 13, 194.6.A l.. A. WHITTAKERET AL v'CUTTING AND CREASING PRESS Filed Marone, 1944 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 v Aug. 13, 1946. L. A. wHlrTAKER ET Al. 2,405,868

' CUTTING AND CREASING PRESS Filed March v8, 1944 6 sheets-sheet 4 @Mfi- Aug. 13, 1946. L. A. WHITTAKER laf/M 2,405,868

CUTTING AND CREASING PRESS Filed Marche, 1944 @sheets-sheet 5 lllllll Aug- 13, 1946. L. A. WHITTAKER ET AL- 2,405,868

CUTTING AND cREAsING- PRESS Filed March s, 1944 s sheets-sheet s Patented ug. i3, i946 CUTTING AND CREASING PRESS Lloyd A. Whittaker and Harold F. Peterson, Franklin, Mass., assig'nors to Thomson-National Press Co., Inc., Franklin, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 8, 1944, Serial No. 525,618

11 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in cutting and creasing presses for the purpose of cutting and creasing such flat materials as paper, impregnated papers, cardboards, corrugated cardboard, composition materials, plastics, fabrics, wood and plywood, rubber and even soft metal materials.

Cutting and creasing presses and likewise `other' types of presses are as a rule of two general forms; one, the rotary cylindrical press, and two, the flat bed press.

In the flat bed press the cutting and creasing die is set into the underneath side of a at head and the sheet is placed on a flat table, the head and table being brought together over their whole surface, cutting or creasing the whole sheet which may have been placed on the table at the same time. Very large machines of this type have been built of such a size as to take a sheet 50" x 80 with the result that very great pressure is necessary between the head and the table to force the cutting and creasing dies into or through the materials, especially for such materials which ar heavy and hard.

In the rotary press the material is fed over a large rotary cylinder and the die or creasing forms set into a fiat bed which reciprocates back and forth, in one direction coming in contact with the Lsheet which is wrapped around the cylinder and pressing and creasing it, and in the other direction dropping from contact with the cylinder in preparation for cutting and creasing the next sheet. In the cylindrical cutting and creasing press the at plate is always tangential to the cylinder in the cutting and creasing operation so that only one line of cutting dies, transverse of the platen, exerts pressure at. a time on the sheet to be died out, the cylinder in effect rolling over the platen plate.

The present invention provides a number of advantages over the cylindrical press in addition to this feature of the cylindrical press, that only a tangential portion of the platen cutter meets the table so that the pressure is not that which would be necessary to cut and crease a whole sheet at once.

In the present invention the head holding the cutting and creasing dies is stationary and the table which is arcuate is both oscillated and reciprocated in the cutting and creasing operation. This permits the design of a simple motion which at all times is readily balanced in the machine and makes it unnecessary for the head to slide to a stop at the end of each oscillation. Further, the oscillation of the arcuate table permits the material to be fed in readily at one end and to be taken out at the other end during the movement of the arcuate table back to its initial position.

A further advantage of the present invention is that essentially there is only one moving part as the table does both the reciprocation and the oscillation in the cutting and creasing operation.

Other and further advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood in connection with the specication annexed hereto describing the invention in connection with the drawings showing an embodiment of the same in which:

Figur@ 1 shows a side View oi the cutting and creasing press with portions shown in dotted position.

Figure 2 shows another side view of the invention with po-rtions shown in fragmentary sections and elements in a different position than shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a section through the machine with the center broken away taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2. Y

Figure 4 shows a section substantially similar to Figure 3 through a portion of the machine.

Figure 5 shows an end view of the machine viewed from the right of Figures l and 2.

- Figure 6 shows a detail ofthe top pOrtion of the machine with the head inran extended position.

Figures 7, 8 and 9 show enlarged details.

In thegures, I is the frame which is provided with two large side plates 2 and 3 which may be of cast metal or other suitable material. The plates 2 and 3 have top finished bearing surfaces Il and 5 with recessed tracks or grooves 6 and 1 in which are positioned two groups of rollers 8 and 9 respectively, journalled in side bars, Io and II for the rollers 8, and I2 and I3 for the rollers 9. These sets of rollers run freely on the frame and support the top head or die holder I4 which is provided with two extending flanges I5 and I6 resting or bearing on the rollers 8 and S respectively.

'I'he head I4 is also provided with bearing surfaces I'I and I8 bearing against corresponding surfaces I9 and 20 on the arcuate table 2l which will be described in more detail later.

The head Ill has formed as an integral part of it a flat plate 22 in which the cuttingV or creasing dies 23 are set. These are of the usual construction and are held in place by a chase 24 clamping the cutting and creasing dies in place. The head Ill is ribbed and arched for support and while it is adjustable on the side supports of the frame, in its use and operation it is clamped in place. This is accomplished by means of angular, supporting and clamping brackets and i 25 which are bolted to the side portions of the frame 2 and 3 by means of a series or" bolts 2l and 28 respectively. Wedging clamping bars 29 and Si) recessed slightly in the inwardly extending flanges of the brackets 25 and 26 serve to clamp the head rigidly in position after its position has once been adjusted. These wedges 29 and may be simultaneously operated by means of the operating bar 3l (see Figure 5) which will be presently described. f

The head i4 on one side is provided with 4a rack 32 which is fastened to the side edge of the flange i5. Meshing with the rack v32 is a pinion 33 which is journalled in a forked bearing' Y35 which is fastened to the side bracket 25. The pinion 33 is operated by means of the handle 34 which turns -a crank arm 35 rotating the shaft 3'6 'onwhich the-pinion 33 is mounted. By turning the "crank arm 34, therefore, the head may be extended from the position shown in Figure 2 -to the position shown in Figure 6 `or in any .intermediate position. A plurality of 'end stops 31 and -38 are provided for limiting the motion 'of the head beyond the end of the frame.

The wedging previously briefly described is controlled by means of the operating bar 3l. This bar at each side 'of the frame is `provided with crank arms 39 and 49 to which the shafts I land 42 are attached. These shafts are journalled in the top portions 43 and 44 of the side brackets -25 and 2B vand are provided at their ends with eccentrically positioned pin's 45a`nd 45 operating in transverse slots 4T and 481 in the wedges 29 and 3B. These wedges are tapered'as-seen -in Figure 6.

The head llli is lnoved to the left, Yas viewed in Figure 6, in order to permit working room for Vthe operator to set in place the 'chase and cutting and creasing dies without being troubled by the arcuate table 2l. When this has Ybeen -ac -corr'rplished and when the-arcuate 'table has also lbeen `fully Vprepared or made ready as Awill be explained, the head is brought back to position, the position -shown'in Figure -1 or Figure 2 and Vis lockediniits `proper place. Thisi's accomplished lby forcing the wedge to the left,v as viewed in Figure "6. by pulling on the -bar 3l. The'wedges 29 land 3S are thereby forced in between the flanges l5 and i6 of the head andthe ianges 43 and vlill of thebrackets 25 and 2S thereby firmly tightening the head in its position. The head is, of course, swung -in or out to the -p'roper positicn by means 'of the "crank 34 before the tightening of the wedge is accomplished.

The cutting and creasing dies may be set in the head in any well known manner. This is commonlydone by setting theknife edgesas, for instance, 69, Figure 3, in a wooden or other supporting piece and surrounding it bvpeces of Arubber or cork 58 and 5! which serve to aid in ejecting the work after it hasbeen cutfor creased by the knife. The material to be cut is fed onto the arcuate table -2l. This mayeither be done by hand or the sheet may be fed automatically by a feeding mechanism of any of the well known types. The feeding may be done frdmcn'e end andthe piece may be taken off from the same end or `from the opposite end. yIn Figure 5 the "grippe'rs-Sil lare shown at sth'e'end. of the table.

YThese frnay 'be Vmechanicallyoperated =`by 'a rod and cam ata given position of the table in any manner. The taking off may also be done mariually or automatically by methods common in the art. The arcuate table 2| may be made of cast or other metal material and is freely supported by a shaft 52 about which it is free to turn. The arcuate table 2i may navega number of supporting brackets, as shown in Figures 3 and 5. The shaft 52 is itself journalled in carriages 53 and 54 which are slidable on rollers in slots in the side portions 2 and 3 of the main frame.

This construction is shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5 and 10. The carriages 53 and 54 which slide in slots 55 and 55 in the frames 2 and 3 furnish the 4bearings for the extensions 51 and 58 of the -shait 52 in lsuch `a manner that the shaft 52 is eccentrically positioned with respect to these eX- tensions 51 and 58. In the position shown in Figure 3, the shaft 52 is in its highest position. The extension 57 at the left of Figure 3 is supported by. a toggle joint support which lowers the shaft 52 when it `is rotated eccentrically about its extensions 51 and l5B. This is accomplished by `means vof the crank arm 59 in which the end of the shaft 5l extends. The Abell vcrank arm 59 has vpivoted to its free end a bell crank lever 60 which is pivoted at the fulcrum 9i and linked by means of the pivot 62 to the crank arm 63 which is ourr'ialled to the shaft y(ill of one of the rollers 65 of `one bearing in the sliding carriage for the shaft 52. In the position shown in Figure 10, the farm 66 of the bell `crank lever 65 is extended vertically 'downward and will remain in Athis position until the arcuate Ytable has been carried to one end of the frame, the .left end as viewed in Figure 1. It will thereupon strike the stop 55. and be thrown `rto the 'right whereupon the crank 59 will be vmoved to the right, as viewed in Figure 10, and the shaft 52 *will thereby be dropped. The crank 59 and the vextension 5l' are tie'd together by a key-way 65 or by any other suitable means. This 'dropping `of lthe lshaft .52 will pr'ovide clearance between the arcuate table and the cutting and creasing head.

As -shown inFigures 1 and 2, the arcuate table lis provided with '5a sector gear 61 which engages affixed rack Sil-attached to the'sde frame 2. This iisshown inFi'gures 3 and 4. The rack 6'8 is iiXed 'tothe yframe in a permanent position :and 'not 'to the head i4 sincethe `hea-d must -b'e adjusted `for removal of the dies and Iforaccess to the larfcu'ate table. The arcuate t'able 22h #as 'has been lexplained above, has both an oscillating and 'reciprocating motion. For rthis purpose there -is provided a harmonic fdr-ive fshown in dotted `position in 'Figures 1 and '-2. This includes 'a drive lshaft'ii which may be-dri-ven `by a'motor through -a reduction gear with the initial `driving arm or crank 10 linking with a second -cran'k -l which isfattachedto the-shaft52 in lthecollar orbearing l2. The drive for the shaft is preferably at a number of -points Vthrough several cranks and bearings T2 and 13. -By means of this drive, the

shaft 52 and its supporting `carriages 53 and 5d which are mounted on the rollers 55 and 65 are moved from one end of the slots 55 to theo'ther end of Ithe'slot with aharmonic motion with zero vvelocity at-eaohend of -the slot. At the 'right end of the slot the toggle -detent 565 'hits .against 'the -`stop=65^and drops the shaft-52. Any other suitable means maybe used tothrow-out and in the Itogglede'tent at the end of the lmotion. As has 'been explained, the Yoontlilied? motion ofthe drive `ciarik-pulls the arcuate table back to its initial psitio'n where 'the "arm 55" of the 'bell crank 1ever comes in Contact with the other stop i4 which 'raises the shaft 52 back in position where the arcuate table comes in contact with the head, the bearing flanges I'l, I8, I9 and 20 serving as a guide for the engagement of the table and the head. In the motion of the arcuate table, the sector gear 8'! meshes with the rack 68 so that'the arcuate table oscillates or rotates on the shaft 52 at the same time that its axis is reciprocated back and forth beneath the head.

In the arrangement shown in the present application, cutting and creasing takes place as the arcuate table (as viewed in Figures 1 and 2) has its axis moved from the right to the left. In the reverse motion the table' is disengaged from the head to a degree such that no cutting or creasing takes place.

It should be noted, however, that in this operation the sector gears 61 and the rack 68 are large and will continue to mesh even though the table has been dropped a considerable amount. This insures that the cutting and creasing operation will be accurately repeated for each stroke.

One of the advantages of the present arrangement is that the arcuate table may be made clear of the head by moving the head out from above it. This permits the arcuate table to be made ready with considerable ease as the operator has easy access to the arcuate table.

The table is properly built up in the well known manner to the proper height by layers of paper or other materials after which the cover 8i) is drawn tautly over it and clamped in position by the clamp 8l. (See Figure 2.)

The press herein described may be made in any desirable size but has a prime advantage in that it may be made in Very large sizes and operated at a rapid rate, more rapidly than has been accomplished with machines of the prior art of the flat bed type.

It will readily be appreciated that modifications and changes may be made in the present construction for automatic and manual operation without radically departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention and we therefore claim as our invention:

l. In a cutting and creasing machine, a frame, a head mounted thereon, an arcuate sector table positioned and adapted to be in substantially tangential contact with said head and having a supporting shaft upon which said sector table is freely rotatable and means providing a harmonic motion with substantially no velocity at the end of the motion for reciprocating the shaft through a given stroke.

2. In a cutting and creasing machine, a frame, a head slidably positioned on said frame, an arcuate sector table positioned and adapted to be in substantially tangential contact with said head and having a supporting shaft upon which said sector table is freely rotatable, means for reciprocating the shaft longitudinally of the head and frame, means inter-connecting the table and frame for oscillating the table during the reciprocating motion, and means for sliding said head from a position over said table to a position clear thereof.

3. In a cutting and creasing machine, a frame, a head mounted thereon, an arcuate sector table positioned and adapted to be in substantially tangential contact with said head and having a supporting shaft upon which said sector table is freely rotatable, means for reciprocating the shaft Without rotation longitudinally of the head and frame, and means interconnecting the table and frame for oscillating the table during the reciproeating motion, said last-named'means compris# ing a rack mounted in said frame and a sector gear mounted on said table and engaging therewith.

4. In a cutting and creasing machine, a frame, a head mounted thereon, an arcuate sector table, a shaft on which said table is pivoted, a carriage movably supported with respect to said frame for carrying said shaft, said carriage eccentrically supporting said shaft means for reciprocating the shaft longitudinally of the head and frame, means inter-connecting the table and frame for oscillating the table during the reciprocating motion, and means included in part in said carriage for rotating said eccentrically mounted lshaft at the ends of the motion thereof to engage and disengage said table from said head.

v5. In a cutting and creasing machine, a frame having a bearing flange, a headhaving a bearing flange slidably mounted on said frame, an elongated wedge, means for tightening said wedge between the frame and said head in the bearing flanges, an arcuate sector table having a shaft upon which said sector table is freely journalled for supporting the same, means for reciprocating the shaft longitudinally of the head and means inter-connecting the table and frame for oscillating the table during the reciprocating motion.

6. In a cutting and creasing machine, a/frame, a head positioned thereon, means for sliding said head with respect to said frame comprising a pinion mounted on one of said elements and a rack on the other thereof, an arcuate sector table positioned and adapted to be in substantially tangential contact with said head and having a supporting shaft upon which said sector table is freely rotatable, means for reciprocating the shaft longitudinally of the head and frame, means inter-connecting the table and frame for oscillating the table during the reciprocating motion, and means co-operating with the head and the frame for locking said head in position for normal operation.

7. In a cutting and creasing machine, a frame having guide channels in the sides thereof, a flat head, sliding bearing means supporting the head in the guide channels, means for adjusting and xing said head in a selected position along said sliding bearing, an arcuate sector table positioned and adapted to be in substantially tangential contact with said head and having a supporting shaft upon which said sector table is freely rotatable, a sector gear carried concentrically by said sector table, a rack fixedly positioned longitudinally with respect to said head and adapted to mesh with said sector gear, 4and means for reciprocating said shaft in a direction parallel to the motion of the head in said guide channels.

8. In a cutting and creasing machine, a frame, a head mounted thereon, an arcuate sector table positioned and adapted to be in substantially tangential contact with said head and having a supporting shaft upon which said sector table is freely rotatable, means for reciprocating the shaft longitudinally of the head and frame comprising a pair of roller carriages mounted in elongated slots and supporting said shaft at its ends for free motion longitudinally of said slots and a crank arm drive for reciprocating said carriage in said slot.

9. In a cutting and creasing machine, a frame, a head mounted thereon, an arcuate sector table positioned and adapted to be in substantially tangential contact With said head and having a supporting shaft upon which said sector table is freely rotatable, means for reciprocating the shaft 7 longitudinally of the head and frame comprising a pair of roller carriages mounted in elongated slots, means supporting said shaft at its ends in said carriages comprising toggle joint means having .an eccentric element formed as an extension of` said shaft whereby When said toggle is operated the shaft will be lowered, lowering the sector table from said head and a crank arm drive for reciprocating said carriage in said slot and means operative at the end of the stroke for raising or lowering the shaft.

10. In a cutting and creasing machine, a frame, a head -having a flat surface mounted thereon, an arcuate sector table in substantially tangential contact with said head, a shaft supporting said table, a carriage journalling said Shaft and permitting free rotation of the same and said table, said ,machine having a single drive source comprising means providing translatory motion for and means inter-connecting said head and said table for oscillating the table during translatory motion of the carriage.

11,. "in a cutting and creasing machine, la frame,

a head having a at surface mounted thereon, means for fixing the head in a desir-ed position for operation, an arcuate sector table in substantially tangential contact with said head, a shaft supporting said table, a carriage journalling said shaft and permitting free rotation of the same and said table, said machine having a single .drive source comprising means providing translatory motion for said carriage parallel to the surface of said head, and means interconnecting said head and said table for oscillating the table during translatory motion of the carriage.

LLOYD A. WHITTAKER.

HAROLD F. PETERSON. 

